A major revamp of a south Essex rail station is due to get underway from next week.

Customers using the station at Wickford have been warned about changes while the work is taking place.

Engineers will be extending platform one to accommodate new trains being introduced by Greater Anglia.

The work is part of a £4m project which will see further improvements and additions to the station, including:

• A new ticket office, with two ticket office windows

• A new upgraded accessible waiting hall, with charging points and seating

• New toilets including new and improved accessible toilets

• New and improved customer information screens and CCTV

• A new shop where customers can buy food and hot drinks

The old station building has already been demolished and a temporary ticket office has been installed to ensure minimal disruption to customers.

The work, which begins on Thursday (June 3), will mean all trains for the Southminster line will depart from platform four, instead of platform one.

It is hoped most of the scheme will be finished by June 21. 

Paula Wilson, Greater Anglia’s Area Customer Service Manager, said: "We advise passengers to familiarise themselves with the changes before they travel and to allow extra time for their journeys, if they need to.

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"We are investing in Wickford to make it better for our customers. The proposed work will transform the station, bringing in new facilities for the 2.2 million people who use the station each year.

"This work is essential to allow us to run our new, longer trains to and from Wickford and it is a good opportunity to also upgrade customer facilities at the station.

"We are transforming the railway in East Anglia, with a complete fleet of new trains and £60 million worth of improvements to stations."

Greater Anglia is replacing every single one of its existing trains with brand new trains, which will all be longer with more seats.

The first of the new Alstom commuter trains came into service last November.

All new trains will have USB and plug points, Wi-Fi, air conditioning, improved passenger information systems and accessible seating areas and toilets.